Clod-crusher.



T. J. WEEMS.

CLOD CRUSHER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30. m1.

1 ,26 1,876 Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET I Q or Q8 riEF l INVENTOR ATTO Fl N EY T J. WEEMS.

CLOD CRUSHER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY'SO, 1917- 1,261,876, Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- INVENTOR WITNESSES THOMAS J. WEEMS, OF RHOME, TEXAS.

CLOD-CRUSHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

Application filed July 30, 1917. Serial No. 183,531.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. WEEMs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rhome, in the county of Wise and State of Texas, have invented certain new andnseful Improvement in Clod Crushers, of which the followingis a specification.

An object of the invention is to provide a clod crusher embodying rotatable cutting elements and means whereby a plurality of said elements may be assembled upon a shaft, and securely locked thereto for rotation with the shaft. I

In addition to the foregoing my invention comprehends improvements in the details of construction and arrangement of the parts to be hereinafter more fully described and particularly set forth in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings in which similar and corresponding parts are designated by the same characters of reference throughout the several views in which they appear:

Figure 1, is a view in top plan with parts broken away of a clod crusher constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2, is a view of the machine in side elevation.

Fig. 3, is a detail view in elevation of one of the crushing elements,

Fig l, is a detail view of the hub of one of the supporting wheels illustrating the ratchet mechanism therein.

Fig. 5, is a face view of the mechanism of the preceding figure, and i Fig. 6, is a detail view of one of the looking members of the cutting element.

With reference to the drawings, 10 indicates a rectangular frame provided upon opposite longitudinal members, and adjacent the front end thereof with bearings 11 to support for rotation a transversely extending shaft 12 forming the axle of the machine. The ends of the shaft are provided with supporting wheels 13 which are held on through the medium of nuts ll, applied to the threaded terminals of the shaft, the terminals being threaded in right and left hand to prevent displacement of the nut when the supporting wheels are rotated in a reverse direction. An inverted U- shaped frame member 15 is provided which extends longitudinally of the main frame, centrally thereof with one end of said U- shaped frame member supported upon the forward transverse member 16 of the main frame,,and the rear end upon a transverse bar 17 connecting the longitudinal members of the main frame. The forward transverse member 16 of the main frame is formed adjacent its ends with pairs of spaced and apertured lugs 18 to receive the ends of brace bars 19 which extend forwardly and are connected to the opposite sides of a tongue 20. The rear end of the tongue is spaced from the transverse bar 16 of the frame and is connected through the medium of a link 21 to one end 22 of a lever 23 which is fulcrumed at 24 to a toothed segment 25 secured to the inverted U-shaped frame member 15 mentioned above. Any suitable locking means may be provided upon the lever for engaging the toothed segment to retain the same in adjusted position. A double tree 26 may be mounted upon the tongue and provided with means for attachment to harness whereby the machine may be drawn over the field.

It will be apparent that if the lever 23 is oscillated the frame may be adjusted vertically upon the axle 12 as a fulcrum thereby spacing the rear ends of the frame toward or away from the ground for a purpose which will be presently noted. 7

Mounted upon the oppositelongitudinal frame member of the main frame and adjacent the rear end thereof are a pair of bearings 27 which support a shaft 28 for rotation. The said shaft is provided throughout its length with a key-way 29. Mounted uponthe shaft 28 is a plurality of cutting elements, one of which is illustrated in detail in Fig. 3, from which it will be seen to comprise a disk 30 having its periphery provided with a plurality of pins 31 which are preferably disposed at an angle to the.

radius of the disk and in the same direction. Each disk 30 is formed with a central opening 32, and small openings 33 at either side of the central opening.

In assembling the cutting elements upon the shaft 28 they are separated through the medium of collars 34 and 35 as indicated in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the collars 3-1 having laterally extending pins 36 which are adapted to enter the openings 33 of the disk, and openings provided in one side face of the collar 35. The collars 34 and 35 are furthermore formed with inwardly and radially extending lugs or keys 37 which are adapted to enter the keyway of the shaft thereby securely locking the disk against in diameter than the sprocket 39 and mount ed concentrically upon the supporting wheels13 through the inedium-of clips 1-2 which connect the spokes of the supporting wheels with the spokes of the sprocket wheels. The hub of each ground wheel 13 is'furthermore provided with a recess 43 in which to receive ratchet wheels 44: which are keyed to the terminals of the main shaft or axle 12. Each hub furthermore carries a plurality of pivotally mounted pawls &5 adapted to engage the ratchet wheel whereby the shaft 12 may be rotated when the machine isdrawn along the field in a forward direction, the arrangement however permitting idle'moveinent of the ground wheel in a rearward direction of the machine without rotating the shaft. A shield 46 is mounted over the series-of cutting wheels, and is in the nature of a semi-cylindrical element secured at one edge to the rear transverse member of, the main frame and at its opposite end to the transverse member 17 of the frame.

During movement of the machine over wheel. The clods are thus contacted bythe rotating cutting element, and quickly di-- vided and broken up. In clod crushers heretofore constructed it has'been my experience that if the clods are u'nusuall hard the y will not be crushed, the machine either pass-v ing over them or else sinking them into the surface of the ground. It will be apparent however, that with my machine'the'clods are'not crushed through the provision of a weighted member rolling upon them, but

rather due to the cutting action of the cutting members which are efficient in their action and efi'ectively reduce the clods to fragments. Owing to the provision of the fingers 31 the clods are not severed into sections as with a saw,.but'

the cutting element into engagement with the ground.-

Nhile I have illustrated and described my invention with some degree of particularity, I realize that in practice various alterations thereover may be-made, and I therefore desire to reserve the right and privilege of changing the form of the details of construction or otherwise altering the arrangement of the correlated parts.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is In a clod crusher, a shaft having a longitudinal key-way, a plurality of cutting disks mounted on the shaft, each disk having transverse openings formed adjacent the center thereof, a pair of collars-between each disk surrounding the shaft, studs projecting from one side face of one collar of each'pair to project through the opening of the disk, thecollar at the opposite side of said disk having recesses to receive the projecting ends of said studs whereby to lock the collarstogether and tothe-"disk, and means on the collars entering. the key-wayto lock the collars to the shaft.-

In testimony whereof I affix my signature (Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressing the "Commissioner of Eatents,

Washington, D. C. 

